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Palawan Sun Skink

    Leaves, twigs, and barks that have fallen to the ground make up leaf litter, and it's home to a wide variety of plants and animals. Most of the tiny animals found in the leaf litter are invertebrates. They are important food source for toads, skinks, and other small amphibians and reptiles that rely on the shelter and moisture provided by the leaf litter. One of the many creatures living in the leaf litter habitats of Palawan is the Palawan Sun Skink ( Eutropis sahulinghangganan ), a newly described species of skink endemic to Palawan. The name Eutropis sahulinghangganan derives from the Tagalog "sa huling" or "sa huli ng" (meaning in the last), and "hangganan" (meaning frontier). Palawan Sun Skink     The Palawan Sun Skink inhabits thick coastal forests, mangroves, as well as secondary forests and primary forests up in the mountains. I have seen this skink near the peak of Mount Beaufort at elevations of around 1000 masl, but the population of thi

Palawan Horned Frog - A cryptic frog endemic to Palawan


Palawan Horned Frog Pelobatrachus ligayae photo by Jojo De Peralta
     The Pelobatrachus ligayae (Taylor, 1920) or the Palawan Horned Frog is a species of amphibian in the Megophryidae family that can be found only in the province of Palawan. It inhabits secondary growth forests, lowland and montane rainforests where it is active day and night.
 
Palawan Horned Frog Pelobatrachus ligayae photo by Jojo De Peralta
Juvenile Pelobatrachus ligayae.
     The Palawan Horned Frog has an elongated “horn” present on each upper eyelid. The skin color varies from reddish brown to gray. The body shape and color resemble the appearance of a forest ground floor.

Palawan Horned Frog Pelobatrachus ligayae photo by Jojo De Peralta
Pelobatrachus ligayae in mossy forest habitat.
     The Pelobatrachus ligayae is a slow moving frog that use camouflage as primary defense against predators. When it feels threatened, it usually remains immobile unless touched or molested.

Palawan Horned Frog Pelobatrachus ligayae photo by Jojo De Peralta
Pelobatrachus ligayae in wetland habitat.
     Although this horned frog has a wide distribution in Palawan and occurs in forested areas from around sea level up to the mossy forests in the mountains, finding them is usually hard. They blend well on the leaf-covered forest floor and will remain quiet and immobile until the threat is gone.

Palawan Horned Frog Pelobatrachus ligayae photo by Jojo De Peralta
Pelobatrachus ligayae with nice camouflage color.
     This awesome frog is now listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List. The major threat is the destruction of habitats. This species is threatened by the continuing decline of both lowland and montane rainforest habitats due to agricultural activities in Palawan.




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